Do act 235 agents have arrest authority?

Answer 1

As a Pennsylvania ACT 235 certified security guard, it is my (and all other certified individuals responsibility) to fully understand the legal stipulations of and authorities to which this act and ultimately the Commonwealth grant us. So to answer your question- When it comes to arrest powers, no, an ACT 235 certified individual does not have any legal authorization under the Commonwealth to execute arrest.

While many of us whom are ACT 235 certified are trained in the use of and do carry handcuffs during the performance of our tasks, they are carried solely for self defense purposes and/or to hold, or "detain" if you will, the subject in question until the proper authorities arrive on scene. As I'm sure you have heard accounts of security guards "arresting" people, I will clarify to you that these were in fact incidents where what are most commonly known as "citizens arrests" took place. It is more typical to hear of security guards executing a "citizens arrest" than it is other individuals simply because security guards are diligently on the lookout for offenses committed, it's our job.